


last train home

by pistolgrip



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21728296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pistolgrip/pseuds/pistolgrip
Summary: Even the quiet moments are a step forward in Touya's journey from boy to young man.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	last train home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Refi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Refi/gifts).



> title taken from pat metheney's song of the same name.  
> love u ari

Touya decides that his last adventure of the day will be the final subway to Anville Town, disregarding everyone's warnings that all that town has to offer is trade. He won't consider his adventure in Unova complete without exploring every hidden nook. What he lacks in physical goods to trade, he thinks he can compensate with stories, and that's what he wants the most out of even the smallest village—to experience something new. And after a long day on the Battle Subway, he appreciates that the line to Anville Town is free of battling trainers.

He pauses at the entrance to his platform, observing the last of Gear Station before he leaves for the night. Other subway schedules show service long into the night, meaning that there are plenty of Pokemon for Oshawott to wave to. A woman rushes past without glancing at them, and her Liepard brushes its tail over Oshawott's head in greeting. A group of girls in Lolita walk by, and their Gothitelle throws a peace sign at them. A Scraggy swaggers up to the two of them, glaring, before bursting into a grin and running away.

The announcement speaker crackles to life, reminding passengers that the last subway to Anville Town will depart in five minutes. With hesitation, Touya turns away from the scene to board with Oshawott. The world sounds quieter by the time he sits down in the nearly-empty subway car and the doors close behind him, as if all of Castelia City is underwater.

The subway moves forward, out of the small tunnel and back out into the wide open world. Oshawott's legs flail as it tries to crawl up on the empty seats, climbing to the empty seat next to him and presses its face against the window, and its pout broadcasts disappointment to Touya.

The people on the Battle Subway carry so much energy, and he hardly ever has time to think. But now that he can rest, he doesn't know where to start reflecting, so he lets his mind wander, his eyes scan the train. A woman in a business suit sits across from him, her suitcase between her heels, eyes closed with her Munna sitting on her head. A man in his mid-twenties further down is dressed in casual clothes, headphones in and looking out the window while his Zorua naps in his lap. A middle-aged man's glasses slip off his nose from time to time as he reads a book.

Everyone's absorbed in their own worlds. Touya finds it a comfort, allowing himself to exist as he is, in the heart of his journey.

Turning his head to see how Oshawott's doing, he catches his own reflection in the window, and he startles with how unrecognizable he is. It hasn't been long since he left home, but already he feels different, shaped by the city and the people he's met. This is the standard age to start a Pokemon adventure, challenging gyms and collecting badges, but Touya uses that framework as a springboard for his primary mission: to travel, to explore the world. He'd dreamed about travelling for years, but when he first chose Oshawott, he never imagined it would be anything like this.

He touches his face, wondering where the baby fat went, when his eyes grew so bright—and then, the perpetual darkness behind the window bursts into colour.

The train passes over the bridge out of Castelia City and into the thick forest. He can see the wonder in his own face, still reflected in the glass, as he gets one last view of the city's perpetual lights indistinguishable from stars. The bridge's supports flicker against his vision as the train speeds by like a camera's shutter, and he commits each snapshot of the city to memory.

He tears his eyes away from the window to watch Oshawott smile, wide eyes glittering with the city's reflection. He felt caged before in his hometown, with only one train in and out, but as long as they have each other, he knows they could have the entire world.

The subway slows to a stop for the next station above ground, with only one tired passenger at the platform. He enjoys the last of the city view before they disappear back underground, content with the knowledge that it won't be long until he returns. Oshawott huffs and crosses its flippers before sitting in his lap again, looking out the window and waiting for something new.

He understands Oshawott's disappointment, but it's not so bad to take a quiet moment like this to reflect. He's not quite a young man yet, but already, he's come a long way from the boy he was when he started. Not only is he ready take what the world throws at him, he's excited to take what he wants from what the world has to offer. The realization is slow to unfold, but no less exhilarating; he can go anywhere, with anyone, at any time he wants.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, leaning back in his seat. The subway's fluorescent lights are more comforting than harsh, and the wheels moving endlessly against the tracks gives him the sensation of moving forward, even when the windows are curtained with blackness. Even while he's resting, he's still adventuring.

A small grin appears on his lips—not large enough to shatter the sacred moment within the car where everything is possible, but enough to signal to the world that he's ready to take it by storm.


End file.
